Shelter From the Storm
by fatefulfaerie
Summary: Link and Zelda take cover on a hill when a storm impedes their journey. When Zelda asks Link an odd question, how will he respond? BOTW memory one shot.


"What if…" Zelda said behind Link in a softer tone, prompting him to lower his sword and look back at her.

"One day…You realized that just weren't meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said…was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing that you were ever told…I wonder then…would you have chosen a different path?"

"Princess…what…" Link started.

"Just answer the question," she said with her head down.

"All right," Link said as he sheathed his sword.

He sat on the grass in front of her, pondering her question for a moment before stating,

"Yes."

"What?" Zelda said as her head lifted, showing her confused eyes. It was apparent that it was not what she wanted to hear.

"I've always done what I felt was right. And if something felt wrong…then I wouldn't do it."

Link felt his heart break at the sight of her emerald eyes starting to water.

"Princess…"

He knew he should have said something, anything.

Yet, Link only stared, confounded by what to say, what to do with the crying girl in front of him with her head down.

Link slowly reached out his right hand, aiming to clasp it into her left, fully expecting a retaliation, a full reprimand of how improper he was being.

Yet, as their fingertips met and their hands connected, she simply exhaled.

They sat there in silence for minutes as he felt her hand squeeze his.

When she looked back up at him, her green eyes were encircled by the remnants of tears.

Link inhaled to speak at the sight of her sad, despondent eyes, yet he still couldn't find the words.

"Link, I've been wondering…why don't you talk?"

"I talk."

"When it suits you, when you have to, but…"

Link took a deep breath, his expression warping as his mind searched for the answer to her question.

He watched her curious green eyes widen, surely in reaction to seeing him struggle to find the words.

"Sorry…I umm…"

Link felt her squeeze the hand through which they were still connected, prompting him to start.

"I guess it started…when I pulled the Master Sword."

"After my father's death, it felt only right to continue training as a knight. To uphold his legacy, but at the same time, to feel a connection to him that was cut short by his heroic demise. I became the youngest in training to be a knight, besting grown men that were twice my size. It came naturally to me, and I would soon learn why."

"As you know, the sword started to resonate, and with the return of Calamity Ganon prophesied, the castle was in a frenzy. Every knight around me obsessed with being the one to pull the sword, just like the hero of legend. At the time, they seemed crazy to me. 'It's just an old sword that's stuck in a stone, what's the big deal?' I would tell myself constantly. I would roll my eyes whenever someone would announce their intent to seek it out in the forest and pull it. Every single one of them had no idea how much they were…romanticizing the sacrifice that it would entail, the burden that they would carry. But, they were obsessed nonetheless, the whole lot of them. They had such a confidence in it that I didn't understand. After all, a golden goddess, a chosen hero, a primal evil, after eons of those stories being cast aside as myths, legends, it's no surprise that I didn't believe it."

"A group of us were at the training grounds, next to the forest. I was running through drills when I heard it."

"It was just one word, one ethereal whisper that echoed in my ears from the depths of the forest."

"Master."

"It was all instinct from there, sneaking into the forest, seeing the sword glow, hearing a beckoning call, a…a chime almost…originate from the sword as I stepped closer."

"I almost couldn't believe what I was doing as I reached for the sword. The thing that I had called crazy, an old superstition, now the thing that felt so…oddly…right…"

"My doubts had been cast away. I wrapped my fingers around that hilt for the first time and before I even tried to pull it, I knew it was mine to hold."

"And, sure enough, it slid out, like a knife through butter."

"So when I returned to the training grounds…"

"I guess…it wasn't until the sword was pulled that everyone realized the grim destiny that the sword was aligned with. I knew nothing would ever be the same when I saw their faces."

"It can't be."

"But he's so young."

"Only thirteen."

"There must be some sort of mistake."

"Barely even a knight."

"It's too big for him."

"What a joke."

"I heard it all. They either avoided eye contact or just stared. All eyes were on me to be the hero, that legend."

"I didn't know how to react to it all, the scowls, the concerned expressions, the wide eyes, the silence. The burden to save the world, mine, yes, I'd accepted that…I felt like I was always meant to hold that sword…but…still…"

"That night it dawned on me. That the fate of Hyrule was on my shoulders because I fit so well into the mold of the hero. By some divine decision, it was always me. It was so unbearable that I just…shut down."

"I thought it was my sole burden to carry, so I isolated myself."

"From other people, from expressing emotions, from talking, from anything external. I couldn't let them see how vulnerable I was, how scared I was."

"It became a habit. So, over the next few years…"

"I became, to everyone else, the stoic hero, who faces his enemies without fear of death."

"I became, to everyone else…"

Link sighed before continuing.

"…perfect…"

"But they had no idea how scared I was of not being able to meet that standard, not really being able to save Hyrule from this Calamity Ganon, who was in that moment as terrifyingly real to me as the sword strapped to my back."

"That was, at least, until I met you."

 _"_ Just meeting the princess at my rank was an honor, but being responsible for her safety…I knew people were jealous. A few knights even told me so, not to mention Revali himself."

"Of course I didn't show it, but, I was so nervous."

"Yet, the moment they introduced me as your knight attendant and I saw you for the first time, I'll never forget it."

"Your eyes, angry, yes, I understood why, but…scared…"

"My nerves were eased because I looked into your eyes and I saw that…"

"…that they reflected mine…"

"You too, had a destiny that you were unsure of, a burden you were destined to carry, just as important as mine. You were as terrified of yours as I was of mine."

"I found comfort in your company, solace in your presence. Just being around you made me feel like everything was going to be okay."

"And I wanted more than anything for you to feel the same."

"As much as you seemed to hate me, I liked being around you. I liked not being held up to a high standard, I liked not being alone in the world. I liked having someone else who understood how scared I was, and I still do. We both had the weight of the world upon us, and I…"

"I thought that if you smiled, then I could smile too. Even if it was unspoken, I felt something between us and I waited for the day when you would feel it too, when you would discover that I was here for you."

"And I still am."

Zelda stared into his blue eyes, pondering what to say next.

"Link," she said, her voice soft, her gaze locked into his, "I had no idea. I'm so…so sorry for the way I treated you."

"Princess, you already apologized, you don't have to—"

"But I do," she interjected, "I'm sorry for not seeing it sooner. I'm sorry for denying that…you were there for me."

"And I didn't hate you," Zelda added, "I wanted to hate you, but I never did. I…I'm glad that…I've opened my eyes to see you…I…I'm glad we can…both be scared…together…"

Zelda and Link smiled at each other before he released her hand and stood up to resume training.

"About your powers…" Link started with his back turned.

The princess inadvertently held her breath in anticipation of what he would say next.

"Just…give it time," he said looking over his shoulder, "and know that…no matter what, I will always be by your side, Ze—Princess…"


End file.
